Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2023 December 7
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                        Orion and the Ocean of Storms
                     Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]Artemis 1

   Explanation: On December 5, 2022, a camera on board the uncrewed Orion
   spacecraft captured [5]this view as Orion approached its return powered
   flyby of the Moon. Beyond one of Orion's extended solar arrays lies
   dark, smooth, terrain along the [6]western edge of the Oceanus
   Procellarum. Prominent on the lunar nearside [7]Oceanus Procellarum,
   the Ocean of Storms, is the largest of the [8]Moon's lava-flooded
   maria. The lunar terminator, shadow line between lunar night and day,
   runs along the left of this frame. The 41 kilometer diameter [9]crater
   Marius is top center, with ray [10]crater Kepler peeking in at the
   edge, just right of the solar array wing. Kepler's bright rays extend
   to the north and west, reaching the [11]dark-floored Marius. On
   December 11, 2022 the Orion spacecraft [12]reached its home world. The
   historic Artemis 1 mission ended with Orion's successful splashdown in
   [13]planet Earth's water-flooded Pacific Ocean.

                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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    Authors & editors: [25]Robert Nemiroff ([26]MTU) & [27]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([28]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [29]Specific rights apply.
              [30]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [31]ASD at [32]NASA / [33]GSFC,
                         [34]NASA Science Activation
                           & [35]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2312/art001e002132.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1
   5. https://flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/52547306790/in/album-72177720303788800/
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220128.html
   7. https://earthsky.org/space/new-ideas-about-origin-of-lunar-ocean-of-storms/
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_mare
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marius_(crater)
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler_(lunar_crater)
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marius_(crater)
  12. https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2022/12/11/artemis-i-flight-day-26-orion-splashes-down-concluding-historic-artemis-i-mission/
  13. https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/apollo-17-astronauts-capture-iconic-blue-marble-50-years-ago
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231206.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  18. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  23. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=231207
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231208.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  28. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  31. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  34. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  35. http://www.mtu.edu/